Benito Juarez

Benito Juarez (21 March 1806-18 July 1872) was the President of Mexico from 1858 to 1864 and 1867 to 1872.

Biography
Juarez was a Zapotec Indian born to peasant parents, and he was taken in to his uncle's home after his parents and grandparents died within a short distance of time. In 1841, he became a judge, and in six years he became the Governor of Oaxaca. He went into exile in 1853 after resisting Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's dictatorship, and became the leader of Mexican Liberals. In the Reform War, he overthrew Felix Zuloaga's government, becoming President in place of Zuloaga and fighting to assert Liberal control over the country.

The response to this civil war was a French invasion of Mexico in 1862, and despite Juarez's gestures of a compromise peace, the French refused to leave. Despite a victory at the Battle of Puebla, the Mexicans were defeated and in 1864 Mexico City was occupied by Maximilian von Hapsburg's troops. Hapsburg became "Maximilian I", and Mexico's loyal Republicans fought a guerrilla war until the fall of Mexico City in 1867. Juarez was hailed as a national hero, and he was president until his death in 1872.